Transport software-defined networking (TSDN) is based on the application of software-defined networking (SDN) techniques to the transport layers of network such as a service provider Wide Area Network (WAN). A TSDN controller is typically employed to monitor and manage traffic flows in the network.
A TSDN controller computes flow assignments and placements, typically through the solution of optimization problems. When a new flow is to be added to the network and the network has reached a certain capacity, the controller may determine that one or more existing flows should be rerouted to accommodate the new flow.
Alternatively, the capacities of one or more links may be adjusted to accommodate the new flow. Conventionally, the determination that flows should be rerouted, or that links should be adjusted involve the manual identification of congestion points. Such conventional approaches are often time-consuming, and may result in time delays and/or may result in less efficient network utilization. It will be understood that when reference is made to adjusting the capacity of a link, reference is being made to a logical link that relies upon an underlying physical network. Capacity of a logical link can be less than that of the physical link by enforcing capacity constraints at a logical level. Capacity of the logical link can exceed that of an underlying physical link through the use of techniques such as Link Aggregation that allows a plurality of physical links to be treated as a single logical link.